Tuesday's letters: Spending problem

Published: Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, April 1, 2013 at 4:54 p.m.

To the editor: These words came out of President Barack Obama’s own mouth in an interview on NBC News: “We don’t have an immediate crisis in terms of debt. … In fact, for the next 10 years, it’s gonna be in a sustainable place.”

Where is this man coming from, and what has he been doing for the past four-plus years?

As nearly everyone knows, before a problem can be fixed, one has to admit there is one. Our government is borrowing more than 40 cents of every dollar it spends. We have a spending problem!

President Obama is oblivious to the reality. I recall comments in the past, such as “I inherited this problem when I came into office.” Remember those words? The man is incompetent to say the least. If you had $50,000 in annual income and were spending $100,000, you would know you have a problem.

Let’s put it in perspective in an area where our president has some experience. If his golf game developed a slice, he would quickly know, after losing a few balls, that he has a problem and would seek help. Our country has a problem, and it needs help. Wake up, Mr. President.

Glenn Richardson

Hendersonville

Unfair tax system

To the editor: Ben Franklin supposedly coined the “two things are certain, death and taxes” phrase. Regardless, the first is inevitable and the second is infuriating. Part of the “fury” is a realization the tax system is unfair and will remain so, regardless of which political representatives we elect and what promises are made.

So what would be the best I could ask for as a citizen? It would be to let me decide where my tax dollars are spent. With today’s technology, it would be possible and the fairest deal individually that we could ever hope to get.

According to IRS data, excluding net interest on the debt, there are five major outlay areas under which all programs fall — retirement, social, defense, community and general government. Detailed information for 2011 income (personal income taxes account for 30 percent) and outlays can be found on the IRS.gov website.

Citizens should be afforded the opportunity to determine what percentage of personal tax would go to each outlay area. It would force politicians to respect the will of the people when it comes to budgetary expenditures.

Finally, it would honor all citizens with the trust we deserve to determine our country’s priorities.

Barry McMillion

Hendersonville

A train wreck

To the editor: Those using insults like “mean spirited,” “obstructionist,” “hateful” and “racist” need to gain the system engineering perspective of those they demean. Then they, too, will realize that our progressive government is assembling and integrating the subsystems of a train wreck.

Subsystem 1: While alleging fairness, the expansion of entitlements, taxes and regulations reduces incentives for job seeking and job creating. It inhibits prosperity, opportunity and progress by obstructing the free exchange of accomplishments, aka capitalism. Furthermore, regulatory burdens entrench the big and old, which contributes to income disparity.

Subsystem 2: The continual expansion of government power to reward friends and punish enemies replaces productive capitalism with destructive crony capitalism.

Subsystem 4: Uncontrolled spending, that is increasingly dependent on debt funded by money created out of thin air, is but building, ever higher, a house of cards.

Once the integrated system design is fully understood, one also understands tea party wing opposition. The president’s policies constitute a runaway progressive train that must be stopped before the tracks end.

<p>To the editor: These words came out of President Barack Obama’s own mouth in an interview on NBC News: We don’t have an immediate crisis in terms of debt. In fact, for the next 10 years, it’s gonna be in a sustainable place.</p><p>Where is this man coming from, and what has he been doing for the past four-plus years?</p><p>As nearly everyone knows, before a problem can be fixed, one has to admit there is one. Our government is borrowing more than 40 cents of every dollar it spends. We have a spending problem!</p><p>President Obama is oblivious to the reality. I recall comments in the past, such as I inherited this problem when I came into office. Remember those words? The man is incompetent to say the least. If you had $50,000 in annual income and were spending $100,000, you would know you have a problem.</p><p>Let’s put it in perspective in an area where our president has some experience. If his golf game developed a slice, he would quickly know, after losing a few balls, that he has a problem and would seek help. Our country has a problem, and it needs help. Wake up, Mr. President.</p><p><em>Glenn Richardson</em></p><p><em>Hendersonville</em></p><h3>Unfair tax system</h3>
<p>To the editor: Ben Franklin supposedly coined the two things are certain, death and taxes phrase. Regardless, the first is inevitable and the second is infuriating. Part of the fury is a realization the tax system is unfair and will remain so, regardless of which political representatives we elect and what promises are made.</p><p>So what would be the best I could ask for as a citizen? It would be to let me decide where my tax dollars are spent. With today’s technology, it would be possible and the fairest deal individually that we could ever hope to get.</p><p>According to IRS data, excluding net interest on the debt, there are five major outlay areas under which all programs fall  retirement, social, defense, community and general government. Detailed information for 2011 income (personal income taxes account for 30 percent) and outlays can be found on the IRS.gov website.</p><p>Citizens should be afforded the opportunity to determine what percentage of personal tax would go to each outlay area. It would force politicians to respect the will of the people when it comes to budgetary expenditures.</p><p>Finally, it would honor all citizens with the trust we deserve to determine our country’s priorities.</p><p><em>Barry McMillion</em></p><p><em>Hendersonville</em></p><h3>A train wreck</h3>
<p>To the editor: Those using insults like mean spirited, obstructionist, hateful and racist need to gain the system engineering perspective of those they demean. Then they, too, will realize that our progressive government is assembling and integrating the subsystems of a train wreck.</p><p>Subsystem 1: While alleging fairness, the expansion of entitlements, taxes and regulations reduces incentives for job seeking and job creating. It inhibits prosperity, opportunity and progress by obstructing the free exchange of accomplishments, aka capitalism. Furthermore, regulatory burdens entrench the big and old, which contributes to income disparity.</p><p>Subsystem 2: The continual expansion of government power to reward friends and punish enemies replaces productive capitalism with destructive crony capitalism.</p><p>Subsystem 3: Subsidizing (e.g., ethanol) and guaranteeing (e.g., Fannie, Freddie securities) loser investments perpetuate an economic environment dominated by the moral hazard. Such environments only spawn more failures.</p><p>Subsystem 4: Uncontrolled spending, that is increasingly dependent on debt funded by money created out of thin air, is but building, ever higher, a house of cards.</p><p>Once the integrated system design is fully understood, one also understands tea party wing opposition. The president’s policies constitute a runaway progressive train that must be stopped before the tracks end.</p><p><em>Anthony Jeric</em></p><p><em>Hendersonville</em></p>